Pregnant teacher - how to survive?

[Squarebear1973]

I'm a secondary chemistry teacher, so lucky to be on holiday at the moment. Dreading going back in September.
Currently 18+3 and still getting tired, although iron all fine.
Job means that no matter how hard you try, you ARE on your feet all day & can't abandon the kids for a wee due to H&S, and I can't have a kip during the day & I can't alter my working hours like the books / mags tell you to. Had 4 mc's already son don't want to risk but also don't want to be a pregnant wimp
Anyone got any advise? Been there & survived?

Get a typist's chair that you can raise/lower so that you can write on board/do demo's etc sitting down.
(I did a lot of sitting on teacher's desk with feet on a chair for chalk and talk bits)

wear really comfy, flat shoes - they make look like grannie shoes but your feet will thank you!

Keep a tupperware box well stocked with digestive biscuits, crackers etc for nibbling at in lesson changeovers.

And I would recomment telling your pupils as early as you feel able - the older ones especially will be thrilled and tend to look after you a bit more. One of my really tough-nut girls used to tell the whole set off for being selfish "Mrs X needs us to have our last fag 10 mins earlier so we don't come in the classroom breathing smoke on the babba!" (I told my older classes at about 22 weeks, I just let the news spread to the younger ones)

Squarebear - So sorry to hear of your miscarriages, just being pregnant after them is stressful enough. I've had 2MC's and now have 2 lovely boys and pg again.
I think the only thing you can do in your situation is to make the most of the time you do have to relax. at break and lunchtime, sit down, have a rest and if you have to be preparing for your next lesson find a comfy spot in the staffroom if there is one and do it there.
Once schools out and you're not marking in the evening, have a bath, put your feet up, eat well and organise your time. Only do the things that are necessary.
Also i truly believe that pregnancy is the only time you can be selfish and get away with it, so you're entitled to be a bit wimpy. If a fellow teacher ivnites you out on your lunch break, compromise, drive or don't go.
not a teacher but hope that helps. have got a teacher friends will ask her to take a look at the thread.

What's your contact time like next year? Make the most of your non-contact time and sit whenever possible. Also consider taking your maternity leave as early as you can if things are getting too much. Both times I was PG I found my ankles were huge at the end of the day (I teach KS2), so take every opportunity to raise your feet when you can - I know this is easier said than done - also speak to your senior management team and see if they can make any suggestions. Best of luck and congratulations. xx

It's not easy, squarebear. I was teaching chemistry when I was pg with #3. I made sure that I sat down as much as possible, because I was prone to varicose veins. I managed to cope wtih the tiredness during the day, but was dead once I got home. The one thing that used to get to me was that I would feel sick if anyone did anything gross or unpleasant (such as spit or fart loudly).

I basically put myself first though, and prioritised the workload. And counted the days till mat leave. I made sure that I took all the time off I was entitled to for antenatal appts.

On a plus side, the kids that were horrors became really nice to me when they found out I was pg.

I did a lot of sitting down + getting students to write on the board/pass things out etc wherever possible. My lesson also became more student-led with me sort of managing things rather than chalk+talk teaching iyswim. I am a secondary chem teacher too.

I used to be a French teacher and found teaching whilst pregnant extremely difficult. One thing I found out afterwards was that I should have been given a health and safety assessment of needs - which would have hopefully ensured I had a decent chair and also not had to lug bloody great piles of text books around the school . I actually really suffered with horrible kinds taking advantage of me being pregnant and actually pushing into my bump etc- I had very little support from senior management and ultimately it was made me not return to teaching after my mat leave. If I had my time again I think I would not try to be brave but would ask for and indeed insist upon help early on and as much as possible. I also agree with keeping snacks on hand - I had to eat after every hour long lesson or I would throw up . Also I never brought drinks into the class room but did when pregnant as you really need to keep well hydrated. And don't feel guilty about taking time off for ante-natals and scans etc - they just have to sort it out and will but if you don't ask they won't offer. there's also a lot of bravado in teaching about working right up to the birth - don't do it! I had to stop at 32 weeks due to ill-health and it was the best thing that ever happened, I still look back at those weeks with blissful recollection. With dd2 I went on till 34 weeks and then dd2 arrived early at 35 weeks. Good luck and look after yourself - you have to come first, the school won't fall down and the kids will survive.

Hi Squarebear - just to let you know that you aren't alone! I'll be 24+ when we go back in September (secondary), and it's going to be really tough. Out of curiosity, when are you planning to start maternity leave? I've put down 37 weeks, and am now doubting myself. I was fine, if not a bit tired, before summer however since breaking up I've been totally shattered. Unfortunately, can't justify coming away much earlier because of money, but I am quite tempted to shave another week off! As Squeakypop says, I shall be counting the days .

If you can hang on till the end of term, you can start your mat leave on the first day of the new term (or half-term if more appropriate).

I taught up to the day before dd started to come - the most useful tthing I got was an OHP on a moveable stand and a chair so I could sit down and write on that, or prepare in advance.

I can imagine that chemistry could be a bit more difficult, but ther are good reasons why you might not be able to supervise a lot of the practicals.

Hi squarebear - not a teacher so can't help on that score. But can highly recommend reflexology for relief of swollen ankles etc and general achiness from standing. Our local maternity unit provided free as part of ante-natal care from 26 weeks! I think you can start from about 16 weeks but make sure that any therapist is trained to treat pregnant women - there is an extra qualification they do. There are also quite a few midwives around who do reflexology too. Maybe consider some aromatherapy oils for pick me ups during the day? I had a small roller thing for mums-to-be that I used to sniff to get over the smells on the tube! Can't remember what the oils were though -try Neals Yard.

Work should also do a H & S assessment for you if they have not done so already. Being able to go for a wee should be factored into your day! If they have to have someone available so that is possible then so be it!

Hopefully you will start to feel better soon as you now into the second trimester.

OMG , I know how you feel. I am a primary teacher (yr1) on maternity leave now (baby 13 wks) and taught up until 36wks pregnant. It is exhausting. I tried to sit down while teaching as much as I could (which was hard to do) and I had cushions on my chair. I got my teaching assistant to lots for me. I don't know if you have TAs at aecondary? I tried to have a nap when I got home from school too.

But it was really hard work, especially when I seemed to have even more work than normal and was at school often until 7pm. In retrospect, I would have not done as much as I did. I think, you need to just do the bare minimum.
Unfortunately, my head wasnt very understanding.

Hi Squarebear, I teach primary so some of the issues are different but your school are obliged to do a risk assessment on you. In my case the risks were things like playground duty (getting a football in the tummy), outdoor PE and climbing to put up displays etc, so I was relieved of all those duties. They have to redo the risk assessment as your situation changes, so for example once you get further along they will have to work around the fact that you need to go to the loo more often. In my case, I had a TA pop in in the middlle of the afternoon and I would make sure the children were occupied and I would make a dash for it. I found that once I got past about 18 weeks my tiredness lifted and I had a lot more energy - hopefully you will find that too! I'm currently 33 weeks, and I've definitely slowed down in the last couple of weeks but I am planning to go back for at least a week in September so am really trying to get as much rest as I can now. Having said that, I do know quite a few people who have not been as lucky with the holidays as me and have worked through, only to get sick or have their babies early. Try not to be a martyr - if you need to finish early, then don't try and soldier on. Good luck!

I teach 5-7 year olds - I'm back at work now for meetings/planning..etc for a week and our kids start next week, thursday (yes, I know different than british schools. it's a private international school with more of an american system - I've been on holiday since 20 june). I am lucky enough to have a very long lunch break in the middle of the day and 2 specials classes each day surrounding the lunch/recess time, so, when i didn't have a meeting, i would close my door and nap at my desk for 20-30 minutes when I was very tired at first.

I'm 31 weeks now, will be 32 weeks when kiddos come back next week and already feeling quite uncomfortable, sore ribs, very low iron and bp, breathless...etc. I'm goign to work as long as I can until the baby comes but I'll take leave earlier if I just can't handle it - they will let me begin when I want to. I'm planning to try to use my wheely desk chair when I can when I'm tired of standing... try to get kids to come to me instead of me goign to them maybe 50% of the time... just little alterations like that. But who knows, I'll let you know how it goes!

I'd say for secondary kids, get a stool or chair that elevates higher than a normal chair would be one suggestion.

I had forgotten about the risk assessment - good call aubergenie.
Also - in my school we don't have TAs - but class size is approx. 18 per class and my colleague right next door would often keep an eye/ear out if I needed to go to the toilet last term.

Hi, I'm a secondary maths teacher and I was 18 weeks went I went back last September (DS is now nearly seven months)
Loads of good advice here and I can second what Slouchy said, esp re chair and tough nut pupils! The hardest girls were the most useful, on one accasion thretening a kid in teh corridor for accidentally bumping into me (at full volume 'OI, she pregnant you idiot, watch where you are going!')(Except it wasn't 'idiot')
Before I was pg, I was volunteer-for-everything teacher, when pg I did the bare minimum that I could get away with without compromising the pupils.
I did a lot of teaching from an office chair in front of the smartboard, keyboard in hand
If nec, I did go to the loo during lessons and got a teacher teaching A-level nearby to cover for five mins - only necessary twice I think.
Go to the toilet every opportunity you get, even if you only went half an hour ago.
I had one lesson a fortnight where I had to cross the school between periods and I arranged to do this five mins early (it was Year 13) to avoid the crowds.
I went to lessons five mins earlier than I would have done for the same reason.
Also, had lots of chats with Year 10 re names! Funnily enough they all suggested their own names....
Let people do jobs for you, carrying stuff, admin, whatever they offer. Do not turn down offers of help.
TAs are worth their weight in gold.
I'll come back if I think of more.

I teach MFL in secondary and have a 3yo already so there is no 'feet up' when I get home.

I also developed SPD early in this pg (from 12 wks) so I needed to sit a lot more.

You know what, you have to put yourself as the no. 1 priority. The school will be there whether or not you drive yourself into the ground and end up on the sick with pg related complications and stress. They would rather you being the warm body in front of the kids rather than paying you to be on the sick and also have to pay supply to cover your lessons.

So, design your lessons around making it easier on you physically. They will not be top notch lessons but I believe the kids will benefit more from you being there than to have worksheets and supply cover.

I have a very empathetic HOD who, because she knew I was also facing antenatal depression as well as the physical difficulties, went to Senior Management and reduced my timetable. Her rationale was the same as I have said in this post. She rather had me in front of most of the kids than to lose me completely on the sick which would have otherwise no doubt, had happened.

I've gone through two pregnancies as a secondary teacher, in both of which I had hyperemesis to the point of hospitalisation.

My main tips would be:

Keep a selection of snacky things in your desk drawer in case you feel tired or nausous; I found ginger biscuits and little packets of mixed seeds to be useful. I also used to send pupils down to scrounge bread rolls from the canteen in for me in real emergencies!

Also keep packets of mints in your desk, in your locker in the staffroom, in your bag etc.

Don't be afraid of being the last to arrive in the morning and the first to leave in the afternoon.

Keep a water bottle with you and have small sips all day, rather than big drinks at break and lunch time.

If your classroom is upstairs, ask a couple of colleagues to occasionally come and eat with you in your room - saves you having to trek up and down.

Don't be afraid to have quite a few "sit down and get on with it" sort of lessons: you don't have to be all singing, all dancing every lesson of the week. A few worksheets won't kill them and will be easier for you to mark, or even to get them to mark, rather than trawling through millions of essays all the time.

Im a primary teacher, returning in a few weeks after maternity leave. Was heavily pregnant through the Christmas production madness!
Lots of good advice about H&S checks, typists chair, drinking small amounts regularly, mints, crackers etc. All helped me. Make sure your legs & bump well supported (I know support tights aren't the most fab item in your undies drawer but so important) I ended up with support socks from GP for VVs & cankles even though I sat down more! Belly bands are also great. From 24 weeks I had bundles of energy & when it started to fade towards the end I tweaked my diet to lots of high iron foods with additional vit C - my head also let me wear slippers!
Oh & investing in a full body support pillow is a great move, I had one as a gift & it helped with comfort in bed when nothing else could (sleep so important) and was really good for supporting b-feeding when DD arrived (now use it as a bumper cushion around her as she is still a little wobbly sitting up).
Best of luck x

oh yes stash crackers and fruit everywhere within reach in the classroom AND in the car/handbag if using public transport. The car was most important for me because nothing worse than waiting until you get home to get food.

Yes - support tights are essential

Everyone has given TONNES of really helpful advice - thankyou!! The thought of going back in Sept is not quite as daunting.

Will defo stash food everywhere & look at more pupil-led stuff. Don't have timetable yet as was off for the last few weeks of term due to bleed (Head signed me off!), but am a little concerned that as HOY for new yr 7's their area is the furthest away from my classroom that you can poss. get!!

Not used to being selfish, so may have to practice a little on DH before I go back to school!

Not many people at school know yet as kept it v quiet (for obvious reasons) before the hols. My HOD was fantastic & covered my classes by doubling them with hers when I had hospital appointments, so that I didn't have to tell anyone! The Head was great, very family-friendly, but he left in July & I don't know what the new chap is like. Again, I'll just have to be selfish. Waiting so long & been through so much for this bun, I'm not going to let ANYONE bugger it up!

Again BIG thanks for all your advice & if you think of any other bits, let me know.

I am also a teacher at a secondary school and in my last pregnancy was pregnant the whole school term.
Definately agree with all the advice and rest as much as you can. Take as little work home as possible and use the internet for worksheets etc.
I had to do a lot of walking up and down stairs to cover different classes and in the last few weeks I just sent messages to tell the classes to come to me.

Also if on day when I was really tired I would have taken a nap in my storeroom at linchtime and got one of my colleagues to come and wake me about 5 mins before the bell, we had 40 mins lunch breaks so would've got about 20 mins but this realy helped.

I worked up to about 36 weeks and found it ok but I had a brilliant HOD and the school was very understanding.

I'm a secondary Science teacher too. 30 weeks now and not going back in September! Can't believe I've finished already.

Last pregnancy I was due early Jan so was going to work whole term then start my maternity leave after Christmas hol. Baby had other ideas and I left school one Fri in Nov with my desk in chaos and was in hospital that night after my waters ruptured early. Daughter was born early Sun morning 8 weeks early.

I was really tired and still standing up most of day (you just can't run a practical if you're sat down) but as others have said you have to prioritise your own and your baby's health. Try to rest as much as you can and don't push yourself. Don't feel guilty for sitting down on the job and slacking off a bit. Take it easy and don't worry about being a pregnant wimp! Good luck.

Hi Squarebear

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I'm also a Secondary Science teacher (bio) and pg - due late Dec. Same timings as with DS1 so have an inkling of what I'm letting myself in for. As others have said, food on hand is great - as are a few DVDs and worksheets towards the end of term! Student led demos of pracs with harder classes are less of a headache when you are close to full term (worked til 39 wks, a bit bonkers and HOF worriedly checked on me each morning to see that I was still there and not about to pop) -saves the "trying to be everywhere at once" approach I seem to adopt for prac work ("miss, miss, miss...!!!!").
Quizzes, crosswords, tests, anything that allows you a bit of sitting time helps. ASk colleagues for resources if you need to.

Also, if you are able to have a bit of "me" time each day to relax you will sleep better and be better able to face the next day - swimming a few times a week was a god send. May seem odd trying to get more tired, but if it stops the restless legs and helps you conk out it's worth it. I've even heard of people classing it as an antenatal necessity and getting a little time off work (prob not an option for us teachers!).

Anyway, good luck. I guess you are due at the start of the Lent term so if you are able to hang in there until the end of the Mich term then you'll get the most out of mat leave, but do look after yourself.

Rowergirl - have asked about aquanatal & my midwife says that it can be classed as antenatal appointments and she can write me a letter for school if I want to do them! How FANTASTIC! We have a public swimming pool next door to the school, so will see if they have classes for when I get back, as I LOVE being in the water.

Caramelbunny - I'm due the sanme time as your 1st and planning on finishing at Christmas, as were you, so I'd better make sure I tidy my desk every night "just in case"!

Shelley679 - also have a very understanding HOD so I know I'll have plenty of support. I (stupidly) fret about stuff out of my control though such as 2 new people starting, which has NOTHING to do with me ha ha! The preg yoga is helping though.

Best advice I think is the no singing/dancing lessons(!) and lots of pupil led time to allow feet up - Thanks